Sr Staff Engineer - Systems Architect

Northrop Grumman Corp. (AU); Cincinnati (OH); On-site; USD 175,300 - 262,900; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Job summary

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems in Cincinnati, OH seeks a Sr. Staff System Architect for the Neptune Phoenix Program. The Architect defines and maintains the system architecture, ensuring alignment with roadmaps and common components across projects.

The role requires DoD Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility, MBSE expertise, and experience leading agile development in defense environments. Travel up to 10% is expected.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Physics or other STEM field with 14+ years of related experience, or MS with 12+ years, or PhD with 10+ years.
• Active DoD Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility (U.S. Citizenship required).
• Extensive experience in engineering processes from proposal to fielding of systems.
• Proven ability to lead complex engineering projects in production environments.
• Experience leading Agile development projects.

Responsibilities

• Define mission CONOPS, KPPs and TPMs.
• Define the OPSCON for the system(s) in relation to the CONOPS.
• Create, evolve, and maintain system architecture.
• Support the Chief Engineer in architecture discussions with the Customer.
• Coordinate cross-project architectural alignment across projects.
• Evolve capabilities into a System of Systems to meet objectives.

Skills

System architecture

MBSE

Agile development

Systems engineering

Leadership

Education

BS in STEM + 14+ years

Tools

IBM DOORS

Enterprise Architect

Cameo

Job description

Relocation assistance may be available.

Clearance required for start: Yes.

Clearance type: Top Secret.

Travel: Yes, 10% of the time.

Position Overview

Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is seeking a Sr. Staff System Architect (SA) for the Neptune Phoenix Program within the Xetron Operating Unit (OU) in Cincinnati, OH.

The Neptune Phoenix program provides sustainment for our existing prototype portfolio while driving development, production, and operational support for the next generation of technical collection capabilities. The team designs and integrates ground‑and platform‑based collection systems built on model‑based systems engineering (MBSE), open architectures, and open standards.

The Systems Architect within Neptune Phoenix serves as the authority for the system architecture and design, and owns responsibility to create, evolve, and maintain the architecture of the system to meet operational needs. The System Architect also owns responsibility for maintaining alignment between the appropriate solution and internal roadmaps, product lines or common components or sub‑systems.

Essential Duties

• Define mission Concept of Operations (CONOPS), KPPs and associated Technical Performances Measurements (TPMs)
• Define the Operations Concept (OPSCON) for the system(s) in relation to the CONOPS
• Create, evolve, and maintain system architecture
• Support the Chief Engineer in discussions of system architecture with the Customer
• Cross‑project technical alignment and coordinate common architecture solutions across projects
• Evolve and enhance the customer’s suite of disparate capabilities into a system of systems in order to meet current and merging mission objectives into capability, availability, reliability and security

Basic Qualifications

• BS degree in Mechanical, Electrical Engineering, Physics or other STEM field with 14 years of related experience, or MS degree in STEM field with 12+ years of related experience, or PhD in STEM field with 10+ years of related experience
• Active DoD Top Secret security clearance with SCI eligibility (U.S. Citizenship is a prerequisite).
• Significant years of related engineering experience working in an engineering organization at a defense contractor during EMD, LRIP or Operation/Sustainment phases
• Experience in all aspects of the engineering process from proposal and requirements analysis through verification testing and fielding of systems
• Demonstrable experience leading complex engineering projects in production environments
• Experience leading Agile development projects
• Willingness to travel 10% of the time for business needs

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in a Systems Engineering Integration & Test environment from one or more of the following specialty areas: EOIR sensor systems, RF sensor systems, centralized cloud‑based platforms (AWS GovCloud) that manage aggregated data and user interfaces
• Experience decomposing requirements for DoD‑based platforms or systems
• Demonstrated expertise in Systems Engineering, SysML modeling, and MBSE tools (e.g., IBM Rational DOORS, Enterprise Architect, Cameo). Ability to develop and maintain system models, traceability matrices, and verification cross‑reference artifacts
• Experience implementing Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) development methodology
• M.S., M.B.A., or other advanced degree
• Experience with the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process to identify and mitigate security vulnerabilities in support of achieving Authority to Operate (ATO)
• Demonstrated proficiency in analytical thinking and problem‑solving skills
• Demonstrated technical leadership skills, decisiveness, and ability to make sound technical judgments with limited information
• Proven ability to represent organizational capabilities to customers and stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills to communicate effectively across technical and program leadership

Compensation & Benefits

Primary Level Salary Range: $175,300.00 - $262,900.00. The above salary range represents a general guideline; however, Northrop Grumman considers a number of factors when determining base salary offers such as the scope and responsibilities of the position and the candidate's experience, education, skills and current market conditions.

Employees may be eligible for overtime, shift differential, and a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. Annual bonuses are designed to reward individual contributions as well as allow employees to share in company results. Employees in Vice President or Director positions may be eligible for Long Term Incentives. In addition, Northrop Grumman provides a variety of benefits including health insurance coverage, life and disability insurance, savings plan, company paid holidays and paid time off (PTO) for vacation and/or personal business.

Equal Opportunity

Northrop Grumman is an Equal Opportunity Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class. For our complete EEO and pay transparency statement, visit http://www.northropgrumman.com/EEO. U.S. Citizenship is required for all positions with a government clearance and certain other restricted positions.